Hygienists compensated after age-based wrongful termination

On Behalf of | Aug 28, 2020 | Termination |

Wrongful termination can happen in many ways in Delaware and across the country. People can lose their jobs because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or age. For people who have been negatively impacted in their job due to these and other factors, it may be possible to recover compensation in a legal filing. In one recent example, a dental practice was ordered to pay former employees after they were found to have been dismissed because of age.

In the case, the new owner of a dental practice fired eight dental hygienists who were older than 40. Of the 14 people who were hired as replacements, 13 were younger than 40. The people who were dismissed filed a claim because of age discrimination. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, gave the details of the decision in which the practice will pay $100,000 to the former employees.

Five of the employees who were fired filed a claim with the EEOC seeking compensation. They initially tried to settle the case via conciliation. The former employees will receive payment for lost wages and other financial loss. The dental office was ordered not to discriminate based on age nor to retaliate against employees. It will have a new policy against this treatment and have a procedure in which employees can lodge complaints about it.

Employment law violations have been a major news topic in recent years. Much of the attention has focused on harassment, but other violations continue to take place. One is age discrimination. If workers are able to perform their duties but are subjected to mistreatment, wrongful termination or other illegal behaviors, a legal filing might be a viable alternative. A firm experienced in wrongful termination cases may be able to help with a claim to pursue compensation.